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gender-nonconforming performance artists Fela Gucci and Desire Marea

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Gender Performance is an art that each and every person learns, whether they want to or not. Starting from birth, we are expected to appear and act the way our respective gender is expected to act. Gender typing and stereotyping begin from the moment we are gendered, to the nursery, to the toys we play with and the clothes we wear. Why is it that when we are dressing for a special occasion, men wear suits and women wear dresses? Why is a young boy disallowed from wearing a flowy skirt, but it is seen as more acceptable when a little girl wears traditionally masculine clothing, it is written off as a phase that is fine and will pass?

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anja rubik by collier schorr for flair #13 november 2014

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The relationship between being a masculine woman and being accepted by society is one on a large curve. There is little time where it is seen as "acceptable" to be a more masculine female in the early stages of life, prior to being a preteen it is deemed a phase titled "being a tomboy." Girls who dress in masculine clothing are just tomboys, being told it's just a phase that will pass, that they will grow out of it. Once they grow old enough, it will become an issue of sexuality and become less socially acceptable.

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Flowers, Greenhouse, Jiahe Buttercup, Kyoko by Joseph Bartlett

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On the other hand, being a feminine man is something that has never exactly been accepted by society. As a child, the thought of a boy being feminine is a fear of many parents, forcing their child into the gender stereotypes that trap themselves as well. Even grown men fear being viewed as feminine or queer due to their own engraved toxic masculinity. Unlike female masculinity, the relationship between male femininity and social acceptance is closer to a straight line, seeing as it much less accepted.

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Seeing as both female masculinity and male femininity are ideas that are not "approved" by society, it is clear that society is firm in the belief of a binary system when it comes to gender. There can only be feminine females and masculine males and if you do not conform to this ideal you are seen as "rejected" by society. The societal norms that create this gender binary can be traced back to capitalism. The biggest example of this is the idea of "blue for boys, pink for girls." Some time ago, the exact opposite of this idea was true. The only thing that has changed since then? Social beliefs on color and gender. The only thing saying that people must fall into one of these boxes is a construct that can be easily changed or manipulated.

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"The Naked Eye" is "an exploration of masculinity in a variety of manifestations,” Richmond said.

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The idea of toxic masculinity relates back to the idea of hating anything that appears feminine, including everything from colors to clothing to emotions. Even toxic femininity can be related to this. As a way to appear more desirable to men, some women partake in behavior that tends to bring down other women or the gender as a whole. The idea that a man needs to be the breadwinner and a woman the homemaker stems from men needing to appear strong and fearless, traditionally masculine descriptors, while women need to be caring and motherly to fit into feminine stereotypes. Women will hate on other women to prove themselves to men who also hate on women, as the Barbie movie said, "It's the only thing we all agree on." The fact that it could get as far as that being a stereotype is so disheartening and it can all come back to gender performance and the societal demands that create the space needed for toxic masculinity and femininity to grow.